Google Celebrates The Wizard Of Oz 08/16/10

Google has been off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz.

The search engine’s latest home page art-work features a charming Wizard of Oz picture celebrating the 71st anniversary of the iconic Hollywood film.

The Google Wizard of Oz doodle features Dorothy arm in arm with the tin man, the lion and scarecrow as they skip down the yellow brick road towards the Emerald City

The Wizard of Oz Google picture also benefits from the Google logo written across the stylised landscape from The Wizard of Oz story, with countryside, trees and mountains spelling out Google across the top.

The Google doodle is in recognition of the timeless legacy of one of Hollywood’s major pieces of cinematic fantasy, The Wizard of Oz, which was premiered August 12, 1939 at the Strand Theatre Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

A spokeswoman for Google has also paid tribute to The Wizard of Oz, describing it as: “such a well-loved film around the world.”

The attention from Google also shows the enduring popularity of the classic film, the addition to Google’s popular home page doodles putting the film in the same company as the Mona Lisa which was used for Leonardo da Vinci’s birthday; along with composers including Vivaldi, scientists such as Isaac Newton, and authors such as HG Wells; as well as globally popular events such as the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics, all of which have been included on Google’s famous home page doodle at one time or another.

The musical, starring Judy Garland, based on the children’s novel by L Frank Baum, became famous for its strong use of colour as Hollywood moved away from black and white films; and is also memorable for the heart-rending version of Over the Rainbow, sung by Judy Garland, which won an Academy Award for the Best Original Song.

The multi-Oscar winning musical fantasy follows farm girl Dorothy Gale, a 12-year-old kid from Kansas who is knocked unconscious during a tornado before being transported along with faithful companion, Toto the dog and her farmhouse to the magical Land of Oz, where she sets out on the yellow brick road to the Emerald City to ask the Wizard of Oz to return her to Kansas.

Along the way she meets a scarecrow, a tin man and a cowardly lion, who join her hoping to receive what they lack themselves, a brain, a heart and courage, whilst being pursued by the Wicked Witch of the West.

The film became a firm favourite amongst TV viewers over the years and a staple of the British Christmas TV tradition; and has since been recognised as one of the all time classics of American cinema.

The Wizard of Oz is reportedly the most watched film in history and regularly appears in the top ten best movies of all-time in international critics lists.

Last year the film celebrated its 70th anniversary with a limited-edition 5 disc box set with new features such as a singalong game and extras including the life and times of the original author and early-screen adaptations of the Oz books.

The Wizard of Oz was based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum, who sadly died twenty years before the universally acclaimed film was released.

The 1939 American classic is also famous for the singing Munchkins, the tiny people who help Dorothy on her travels.

The Google doodle is just the latest accolade for the Wizard of Oz as well as being a reminder of the creativity of Google’s team.